Peters



N,PETEHS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D Cv .Inuits-is. eo-NIQIN, orNEWYORK; N.

Letters Patent No. 78,91), dated June 16, 1868.

SHOOTING-GALLERY.

N--wI-*MH dln tlirtnle hattet is it ilus llritrts lnitnt mit-uniting:putt nf tige Sana.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCEBJN:

Be it'known that I, JAMES S. CONLIN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inShooting-Galleries; andrI do herebyldcelare that the following is a.full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the samerel`ereucc being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichnFigure lisa vertical longitudinal section of my improvedshooting-gallery, talcen through the line Y Y, fig. 3.

Figure 2 is a partial front view of the sauie.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same, taken through thc lincX X,tig. l. 1

i Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken through theline x x, figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section oi' the same, taken through theline y y, figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken through the-linez e, figs. 1 and 2.

Eigure 7 is a vertical cross-section of the-same, taken through the linex x, rigs.v l and 2.

Figure Slis a detail viewei the rie-target enlarged. l I

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its-object to improve the construetion'ofshooting-galleries so as to make them conveulent for use, easilyoperated, and entirely safe; and it consists in the construction,combination, and arrangement of the various parts, as hereinafter morefully described;

The gallery is divided into t'wo parts by a longitudinal partition, A,or, in other words, a side gallery or passageway, B, is formed along oneside of the main gallcry,'running its entire length, so that theattendant can conveniently pass along it, and enter the main gallery atany point where his services may be required.

A C is the front ofthe gallery, through which, at a convenient height,is formed an opening, D, in which the arm is inserted Awhen loaded, andfromV which it is not removed until tired, the arm never being cappeduntil its muzzle has been passed through said opening, thus guardingbystanders from any danger of being injured by an accidental dischargeof the arm. y

E is the first comparturent ofxthe gallery, which is made short, beingonly of suficient length to allow the person shooting to see the sightsof the arm clearly, light for thispurpose entering through a shy-lightor window, F, placed in the roof or cover ofthe gallery, as shown infig. 4.

The next compartment of the gallery is a lowand narrow tunnel, G, thewalls of which should be plated with iron, or otherwise strengthened,and which is made so narrow that it will be impossible for the arm to beturned` at such an anglewith the walls of said tunnel that a ball by anychance could pass through said walls, but would necessarily pass throughsaid tunnel into the next compartment H.

The compartment H is made of such a length' that the partition I whichforms the further end of said com. pertinent may be at a suitabledistance from the front, C, to serve asa support for the pistol-targetJ. l

The pistol-targetJ is a door hinged in a doorway in the partition I, andwhich is formed oi' iron, or is so heavily'plated with iron as to beable to resist theforee of any pistol or rie-ball.

The part ofsthe target which can be secu through the tunnel G ispaintedwhite` so that the marks of thc balls can be easilyscdn from the frontofthe gallery.

The bull's-eye of thetarget J is a round hole through its centre, asshown in dotted lines in fig. 5.

K is a dropplate'or block of iron,- made of suiicient strength to resistthe force of any pistol or rifle-ball.

The drop K is pivoted to the rea-r side of the target J, and is soconstructed and balanced by a suspendedA weight or otherwise, thatwhenever a ball hits the bulls-cyc, or enters the hole through thetarget J and strikes the drop K, it will fall.

To the upper edge of the drop K is attached a cord, I1, which passesthrough the partition A, is lcd by' means of guide-pulleys to the front,C, of thcgallery, where it is connected with a gong or other bell, In,so that as the drop K falls, it will ring the said bell, and thusunmistakably signal the fact that the bulls-eye has been hit. 4 l

The drop K is again raised by the attendant at the frontof the gallery,hy means of the cord or wire 7, oneend of which is attached to the upperend of the said dropkK, which passes through the partition A, and is ledhy guide-pulleys to the front, C, of the gallery, where it terminates ina tnssel or other handle, in such a position that it may heconvenicntlyleachcd and operated hy the attendant.

Access to the chamber ll, to attend to the target J, is obtained throughthe door M, in thc partition A.

'lhcdoor M is secured, when closed, by a hook, spring-lock, or otherconvenient means, is provided with a suspehdcd weight, N, is so arrangedthat as soon as it is unfastened it will swing inward, completelycovering the farther cnd of the tunnel G, and is plated with iron, orotherwise made so thick and heavy aste-,bc ball-proof, so that should apistol or rifle be discharged while the attendant is in the compartmentll, it.will be impossible Y for the hall to hit him. v

The target J is drawn and held closed hy a cord, 5, one end of which isattached to said target, which passes through the partition A, and isledto the front, C, of the gallery hy guide-pulleys, where it is secured bymeans of a belaying-cleat, or other convenient means.

The target J is also provided with a suspended weight, 0,' which, assoon as the cord or wire 5 is unfastened., draws thc said target haci:against the partition A out of sight, and out ofthe rangeof the halls.

The target-J is lighted, when in usc, byrneann ofthe trap-door l),formed in the roof or cover of thc gallery, directly in front of thepartition'fl', as shown in dotted lines in iig. 5, which is kept openwhen the gallery is used for pistol-practice, to light the target J, andis kept closed when the gallery is used for ride-practice, so that themiddle part of said gallery may be kept dark.

The next compartmcntlQ is made long, and the partition R, that forms itsfurther end, is made with an oblong opening, S, through it. i l

Tis a heavy iron plate, perfectly hall-proof, sliding in grooves uponthe rear side of the partition R, and connected with the door U in thepartition A, and which opens outward into 'the passage-way B by a cord,V, so that when the door U is opened to admit the :1t-tendant into thecompartment W, the'plate T will be raised` covering the opening S in thepartition lt,"so that it will be impossible for the attendant to heshot, even should a rifle be accidentally discharged while he is in saidcompartment W. i

The door U when closed is fastened hy a hook, spring-lock, or otherfastening, and is provided with a suspcnded weight, X, which, as soon asthe door U is unfastened, swings it open and raises the ball-proof plateT, so that it is impossible for the attendant to enter the compartmentW, without, in so doing, securing himself against being accidentallyshot.

The compartment W is made short, allowing only space for thc attendantto-convcniently enter and attend to thc target, and is lighted through asky-light or window, Y, in the cover or roof of the gallery, and whichis placedV directly in front of the'partition Z, which forms the rearend of the compartment W, and supports the rilc-targget A'. f p

By this construction only the middle part of the rfie-target can be seenfrom the front of the gallery through the oblong opening S.

The effect ofthe partition ltbeing, (and this is one of the mainpurposes of said partition,) to shut off the light almost entirely fromthe middle part or chamber Q of the gallery, while at the same timebringing the lmiddle part of the ride-target into strong relief. A

The ride-target A' is a heavy iron plate, complctelyvhall-proof, andsecurely attached to the partition Z, and the hulls-eye is a holethrough its centre, shown in dotted lines in figs. 3 arid 7.

i In the rear of the target A' is pivot-ed a ball-proof block, B',which, when raised, covers the' bulls-eye of 'the target A', and whichis so balanced that when struck .hy the hall it may fall down.

To the upper end of the block B' is attached a cord, 1, which passesthrough .the partition A, and is led by means of guide-pulleys to thefront of the gallery, where it is connected lwith n bell, C', so thatwhenever the hulls-eye is hit it may he at once signalled by the ringingofthe bell C',

The block B' is again raised by means of the cord 2, one end of lwhichis attached te the upper end of the I vblock B', which passes throughthe partition A, and is led by guide-pulleys to the front of thegallery, so that the attendant at the front 'of the gallery canconveniently raise said block. Y

D' is a shaft, which passes through theV partition Z below thc targetA', and which has. attached to its forward end a block or plate, E',having three or more arms projecting from it, having healsiorrotherfanciful designs formed upon their ends, which, when the bulls-eye hasbeen hit, revolves encor theiothervof its arms up in front ofsaidbulls-eye, and which, when the block B' is again raised, revolves thesaid arms again out of sight.

To the rear end of the shaft D' is attached or upon it is formed a threeor more toot-hed ratchctwheel, F', the pawl G" of which is connectedwith the block B' by a cord, H', so that whenthe said block B' falls, itmay lift the pawl G' away from the ratchet-wheel F', and allow' theshaft D' and armed plate or block E' to be revolved by the weightI',which is connected with the said shaft D by a cord, J', woundaround saidshaft.

K' is a bent arm, attached to the block B', which, when the block B'falls, passes through a slothin thc-partition Z, to serve asa stop todetain the armed plate or block E' in position for one of its arms tocover the hulls- `eye ofthe target A. i i

L' is a short compartment between the partition Z and the rear end irl'of the gallery, into which access may be had, when required, through anarrow door, N', in the partition A.

O' is u hell, placed near the door U, near which an attendant usuallysits or stands, and which is connected, with thc front of thc gallery bythe cord 3, so that the attendant at thc front of the gallery canreadily notify u the said attendant when it is desired that he shouldenter the compartment W to attend to the target A', or for any otherpurpose.

78,929 i 3 A s soon as the attendant has retired from the compartment W,and fastened the door U, he pulls the cord 4, which rings the bell P',at the front of the gallery,`and thus signals to the attendantat thatpoint that thc. rear end of the gallery is again all'right. A l Q' is arest, which moves' up and down vertcally,through a hole in the platformR' ofthe compartment E,

l and the upper end of which is notched to receive the barrel of thegun.

l and for the purpose set forth,

To the lower end of the rest Q is attached one end of the cord S', whichpasses over aguide-pulley attached to the under sideof the platform R',and its other end is wound around and attached to the horizontal shaftT',- the forward end of which projects out through the front, C, ef thegallery, Vand has a crank, U', attached to it, by means of which thesaidshaft is revolved to raise the rest Q' to any desired height. V

The shaft T' is held in any position to which'it may be revolved by thelever-pawl V', which tak-esA hold of a ratchet-wheel, W', attached to orformed upon the shaft T', as shown in iig. 1. V

X' is a rod, passing down through the platform R', with its lowerend'resting upon the rear end of the leverpawl V', so that, by slightlypressing upon the projecting end ofthe said rod X', the pawl V' may beraised from the ratchet-wheel W', allowing the rest Q', by its ownweight, to run down out of the way, and entirely out of sight.

It should be observed that the bells L'P' C' O.' are all different, sothat the sound of one cannot be mistaken fot` the sound ofthe other,each one communicating its signal by its own peculiar sound.

I claim as new, `and desire to .secure by Letters Patent-Q I I 1. Theweighted ball-proof door M, so arranged between the tunnel G andpistol-target J, that when said door is unfastened, it will swing opento protect the attendant at the target from vballs inadvertentlydischarged, .Substantially as set forth. v

2. Forming the targets and A' with holes through their centres', for thebulls-eye, and with drop-plates 01 blocks K and B', which are connectedwith the front of the gallery by means of cords and bells, substantiallyas and for the purposes herein shown and described. l i l v Y Y 3.-Pivoting or hingingthe pistol-target J to the partition I, so that itmay besu'ung back out of the way, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth. b

4. The pistobtarget J, when connected to the front of the gallery bymeans of a cord, 7,V so that it may be swung to its place from the saidfront of the gallery, substantially as set forth.

5. The arrangement, infront of the rifle-target A', of the partition R,formed with an opening, S, and pro vided with a sliding ball-proofplate,T, which latter is so connected, `by means of a cord, V, to the door` U,that when said door is opened, the opening'S is covered by the plate T,to protect the attendant, substantially as described. Y

6. The combination of the weighted door U andA sliding ball-proof plateT with each other, and with the partition R and rifletarget A',substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose setforth.

7. The combination ofthe plate or block E', having three or more armsprojecting from it, shaft D', ratchet wheel F', Weight I', and stop-armK', with each other, with the drop-plate or block B and target A',substan. tially as herein shown and described, and for tho purposesetforth.

S. The combination of the adjustable rest Q', shaft T', ratchet-wheelW", paul V', and rod X', with each other, and with the forward part ofthe gallery, substantially asherein shown` and described, and for thepurpose set forth. p

9. An improved' shooting-gallery, constructed and arranged substantiallyas herein shown ,and described,

JAMES S. CONLINr Witnesses:

WM. F. MeAM-ARA JAMES .l. GRAHAM,

